22/08/2026
POLICE AND PRISONS CIVIL RIGHTS UNION
POPCRU CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
DECLARATION
18- 22 AUGUST 2026
BIRCHWOOD HOTEL AND OR TAMBO CONFERENCE CENTRE, BOKSBURG
PREAMBLE
We, delegates to the 2026 Central Executive Committee of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU), representing members organised across the South African Police Service, Department of Correctional Services, Traffic, Border Management and other components of the Criminal Justice Cluster, gathered from 18 to 22 August 2026 to grapple and scrutinise the political, organisational, bargaining and sectoral challenges confronting our members and the working class broadly. The CEC further allows us an opportunity to assess a progress registered in implementation of resolutions adopted in the previous CEC.
We met at a time of persistent unemployment, poverty and inequality; a rising cost of living; continuing attacks on collective bargaining; austerity measures that weaken the capacity of the state; unacceptable levels of violent crime; deteriorating public infrastructure; overcrowded correctional facilities; inadequate staffing across the Criminal Justice Cluster; and growing political uncertainty within the broader progressive movement.
COSATU AND THE UNITY OF THE WORKING CLASS
We are converging at the time when the country is two months away from holding Local Government Elections (LGE), whilst our federation COSATU is, in less than a month, convening its 15th National Congress. This CEC, therefore, afforded us an opportunity to conceptualise an informed perspective that will help us contribute towards the unity of the federation in its imminent 15th National Congress. The CEC reaffirms POPCRU's commitment to COSATU and to building a strong, militant, independent and worker-controlled trade union movement. The Federation must emerge from its Congress stronger, more united and more firmly rooted in workplaces.
The CEC, following robust and frank deliberations informed by prevailing political climate, particularly in the Tri-Alliance, declares the sacrosanctity of the unity of the workers an uncompromisable tenet of labour movement. Our history teaches us that all gains workers have achieved were won through organisation, solidarity and collective action. It equally teaches us that whenever workers are fragmented, employers and the forces opposed to transformation become stronger. We further say that, to quell swirling tensions within the Alliance, COSATU must urgently facilitate the convention of an Alliance Summit that will inter alia conceptualise the Conference of the Left.
DEFENDING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
The CEC reaffirms that collective bargaining remains the cornerstone of trade unionism and one of the most important instruments through which workers exercise collective power. We reject unilateral fiscal decisions that override agreements negotiated freely and concluded with organised labour. Government cannot invite workers to negotiate and thereafter treat signed agreements as optional. POPCRU will therefore intensify its defence of collective bargaining within the councils and all other structures where our members' conditions of service are negotiated. The CEC further directs that every signed agreement and every organisational resolution must have an implementation plan, clear timelines and accountability mechanisms.
FIGHTING AUSTERITY AND DEFENDING THE PUBLIC SERVICE
The CEC notes persistent budget cuts that result in frozen vacancies, understaffed stations, overloaded detectives, overcrowded correctional facilities and deteriorating public infrastructure ultimately punish workers and poor communities. These austerity measures pursued by government, in a pragmatic sense, defy the very same aspirations of building a capable state.
The CEC calls for the filling of funded vacancies, increased investment in frontline services, improved infrastructure, adequate operational resources and a developmental economic programme capable of creating employment and expanding the productive capacity of our economy. Public servants must not be made scapegoats for economic failures they did not create.
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
The CEC remains deeply concerned about conditions within the Department of Correctional Services. Overcrowding, understaffing, deteriorating infrastructure, occupational safety, conditions of service and delays in implementing agreements continue to place enormous pressure on correctional officials.
POPCRU has engaged the Department repeatedly and in good faith. Our patience, however, must never be confused with weakness. The CEC directs the Union to hold DCS accountable for every commitment made to workers and to intensify mobilisation. The visit to the DCS Head Offices by NOB’s, as resolved by the NEC, who were later joined by delegates to this CEC, was a prelude to series of programs of actions that will follow across the country to counter the arrogance of the department.
SAPS, POLICE KILLINGS AND RESOURCING
The continued killing of police officers remains an attack on the authority of the state and on the safety of society as a whole. The CEC calls for decisive implementation of interventions against police killings, which amongst others include introduction of a Bill prescribing harsher penalties on those who attack or commit police killings. In order to effectively combat crime, the police officers must be well resourced, receive appropriate tactical training and most importantly forge a strong and sustainable partnerships between law-enforcement agencies and communities.
GEMS AND AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE
The CEC expresses serious concern regarding the continued escalation of medical scheme contributions and the increasing financial burden imposed upon public servants. The salary increases cannot continue to be swallowed by medical aid increases, food prices, transport costs and other unavoidable household expenses.
As the Scheme premiums remain exorbitant and unaffordable to public servants, the CEC resolved to withdraw from GEMS agreement and pursue other unions to favourably consider the same.
SINGLE POLICE SERVICE AND TRAFFIC POLICING
The CEC reaffirms POPCRU's longstanding demand for a Single Police Service under one national command. The continued fragmentation of policing produces unequal standards of training, remuneration, working conditions and accountability. The CEC therefore directs POPCRU to intensify political and policy engagement towards the realisation of the Single Police Service. This is based on the 52nd ANC resolutions that advocated the creation of Single Policing as enshrined in section 199(1) of the South African constitution.
ORGANISATIONAL RENEWAL AND WORKPLACE POWER
POPCRU's strength begins and ends with its members, therefore, every workplace must have active structures. The organisational renewal will imply that shop stewards must be accountable, whilst every elected leader remains, at all times, accessible to members.
Political education must be strengthened so that POPCRU develops activists who understand that workplace struggles are connected to broader struggles against inequality, unemployment, austerity and exploitation. We must remain in constant touch with members by holding monthly general meetings across the country.
Apart from the membership mobilisation, the organisation must build a well-oiled administrative machinery with the filling of critical vacant positions wherever they exist, while implementing the organisational restructuring as resolved.
TOWARDS POPCRU'S 40TH ANNIVERSARY
As POPCRU advances towards its 40th anniversary, the CEC resolves that, this historic milestone must become more than a celebration. The road towards 40 years must therefore, reconnect POPCRU with its history, honour its pioneers, preserve organisational memory, intensify recruitment and strengthen the Union at workplace level. We must hand to future generations a POPCRU that is stronger and more united.
This CEC resolved that, to give befitting festivities to this 40th Anniversary, the National Congress and Provincial Congresses that were scheduled to happen in 2027 and 2028 be deferred to 2029 and 2030 respectively. This effectively means that the National Congress shall coincides with the 40th Anniversary of POPCRU in 2029.The term of office for office bearers be attended from 4 to 5 years and such to follow processes towards constitutional amendments in 2029.With these resolutions, it must be taken into cognizance that the organisation shall therefore not have CEC in 2027. This is however a blessing in disguise, considering prevailing circumstances in our sectors where we organise. In July 2027, on the dates still to be determined, the organisation must convene the second instalment of National Policing Indaba. We further resolved that our business ownership, be diversified to mitigate risks.
INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY
The CEC reaffirms that working-class solidarity does not end at national borders. POPCRU stands with the people of Palestine in their struggle for freedom, justice and self-determination. We reaffirm solidarity with Cuba against economic blockades, with the people of Western Sahara in their struggle for self-determination, with workers and democratic forces in eSwatini, and with workers everywhere confronting exploitation, imperialism and oppression.
To enhance regional solidary, POPCRU, together with its fraternal labour formations in the SADC region, initiated the formation of the Regional Public Sector Trade Unions Forum. The primary mission and objectives of the forum, are centred on coordinating trade unions, to influence policy and protect the interests of public sector workers across the SADC and AU regions. A constitution was drafted which will serve as a roadmap for cross-border cooperation and advocacy, for fair labour standards in the African public sector. It will be prudent that, with the amount of work already put into this endeavour, POPCRU must put more efforts for the launch of this forum to take place around November 2027.
CONCLUSION
This CEC emerges clear about the task before us. The working class cannot afford divisions. Our common enemy is poverty, inequality, exploitation, austerity, privatisation, unsafe workplaces, and weakened collective power of workers. We therefore declare:
Worker unity is sacrosanct.
We shall defend it.
Collective bargaining is non-negotiable.
We shall protect it.
Signed agreements and resolutions must be implemented.
We shall enforce them.
Austerity is weakening the state and attacking workers.
We shall resist it.
And wherever the rights, dignity and livelihoods of workers are threatened, POPCRU shall be there.
As we march towards four decades of POPCRU, ours is not simply a responsibility to celebrate history.
Our responsibility is to make history.
To organise where workers are unorganised.
To unite where workers have been divided.
To educate where consciousness has weakened.
To fight where workers are under attack.
Forward to the defence of collective bargaining!
Forward to a strong and militant COSATU!
Forward to POPCRU's 40th Anniversary!
Amandla!
POPCRU Lives — the struggle continues!
